Drier or blower



July 26, 1932. J. E. KELLEY 1,868,905-

DRIER 0R BLOWER Filed Dec. 13. 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 26, 1932. J.E. KELLEY DRIER OR BLOWER Filed Dec. 15, 1930 a Shets-Sheet 2 Ti :\.E.

; film ENT0R I MM NEY July 1932- J. E. KELLEY 1,868,905

DRIER OR BLOWER Filed Dec. 15, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 70 l v TOR PatentedJuly 26.1932

UNITED STATES PATEN Farce JOHN E. KELLEY, or nAncHMoNT, NEW'YORK, nssreivon To EASTERN LABORATORIES, 11m, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A. ooaronarronon NEW YonK DRIER OR BLOWER Application filed December 13, 1930. SerialNo. 502,021.

This invention relates to driers, and particularly to the type used inbeauty parlors for hair drying and in lavatories for drying the hair andskin, and provides improvements therein.

Driers of the type described are generally r. to set forth in connectionwith the following, de*

tailed description.

An embodiment of the invention is illus trated in the accompanyingdrawings, the invention being shown as embodied in the form of apedestal hair drier such as used in beauty parlors.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of said embodiment. i

1.80 Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section. a Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a rearelevation and a side elevation of the cover plate and heater detachedfrom the other parts.

- Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating theelectrical connections to themotor and heater.

Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a side elevation and a vertical sectionon line88,Fig.

7, of the fan and fan casing, with the cover plate shown in Figs. 4 and5 removed.

Figs. 9 and 10 are vertical sectional-views taken at right angles, thesection in Fig. 10 being on line 1010, Fig. 9. Referringto saiddrawings, 1 Numeral 10 designates the fan as a whole. Fan 10 issupported in suitable manner .as upon an adjustable pedestal or stand.

Numeral 12 designates a delivery tube, through which air is directedonto the hair,

orthe hands, or other part of the person to The present inventionprovides a drier of be dried; Delivery tube 12 is here shown as providedwith'a hood attachment 16, which maybe used to advantage in drying thehair, the hood distributing the air over the headto be dried. The hood16 may be pivotally con nected to delivery tube 12, as indicated at'18.This connection permits the hood 16 to be turned back, so that air maybedelivereddirectly from the delivery tube'12.

The fan 10 comprises a casing 20 and a fan proper 22 of the peripheralblade type. The

fan 22 is preferably. driven by an electric motor 24, the motorpreferably being arranged with its shaft 26 projectinginto the fancasing 22. The fan 22 preferably is provided with a hub 28 whichis fixeddirectly to the motor shaft 26, asshown. Attached to the hub 28 at oneside of the'fah is aweb plate 30 to which one end of each peripheral fanblade 32 is connected. The other end of each peripheral fan blade 32 isconveniently connected to an annular orring-shaped plate 34 opposite theweb plate 30.. A central space 36 is provided within the ringofperipheralblades 32, as shown, andthisspace36 is open at one side, anopening 38 being provided within the fan casing20 at one side,oppositethe open space 36 in the fan. The opening 38 is preferably slightlylarger than the fan 22,'which facilitates the mounting and .demountingof the fan 22 on the motor shaft 26-, and which also facilitates the assembly of other parts of the structure, as hereinafter more fullyexplained.

The opening 38 in the fan casing 20 is preferably covered by a coverplate 40. The cover plate 40 opposite the. space 36 within the fan 22isopen to permit air to be drawn into the said space 36. The opening inthe cover plate 38 is convenientlyprovided by a perforated plate 22forminga part of or'at tachedto the cover plate 40. V

Numeral 44 designates an electrical resistance heater, for heating theair drawn in by the fan. The electrical heater 44 is positioned withinthe space 36, in the fan 22. Moreover, the e1ectricalheater'44 ispreferably supported on the cover plate 40, in such manneras to beremovable therewith. The

resistance heater 44 is preferably supported upon a plurality ofradially arranged insulating plates 46, which plates are convenientlyattached to the cover plate 40 in suitable manner, as by means of shortstuds 48. The resistance wire 44 is preferably arranged on the plate 46in the form of a helix, with the wider spirals facing the opening in thecover plate 40. Electricity is conducted to the heater 44 by means ofwires50, 51, and the cover plate 40 is preferably provided with a strap53 for holding the wires 50,51, out

. 26, the motor casing belng conveniently provided with a shoulderfitting a corresponding opening in the fan casing. In order to hold thecasing 20 in its various positions of adjustment around the axis ofmotorshaft 26, a friction clutch 62 is preferably pro vided. The clutch62 may comprise a plate or ring of metal 64, in the shape of a frustrocone, to provide resiliency. One edge 66 of the resilient plate 64 bearsagainst the casing 20, and the other edge 68 bears against'an annularring fixed to the casing of the motor as indicated at 72. The ring 70and screws 72 not only serve as a part of the friction clutch 62 butalso serve as a means for holding the casing in place on the shoulder 60of the motor casing. The ring 70 is conveniently formed as a hardenedsteel ring, and means such as bolts and washers 7 5 may be provided forbinding the outer edge 66 of the. resilient disk 64. Resilient disk 64being bound at its edge 66 by the means 75, movement isfavored to takeplace between the edge 68 of the resilient plate 64 and the hardenedring 70, and thereby reduce wear of the parts of the friction clutchincident to the turning of the casing 20 around the axis of shaft 2 Thecircuit to the device as a Whole is controlled by means of a switch 80,and the circuits to the motor 24 and to the heater 44are' convenientlycontrolled by separate switches 81 and 82. a

' To assemble the device, motor 24 is first mounted upon the pedestal14. The fan casmg 20 is then placed over the motor shaft 26 on theshoulder 60. The ring plate 64 is then placed against the. inner face ofthe motor housing 20. The ring 70 is then placed against the resilientring plate 64. Screws 72 are then passed through the ring 70 andtightened to bind the said ring 70 against the resilient plate 64, andto at the same tlme fasten the casing 20 in place n shoulder 60 of themotor casing.

The fan 22 is then passed through opening 38 in the fan casing 20, thehub 28 being placed upon motor shaft 26, and then fastened thereto. Theradial insulating plates 46, having been previously fastened to thecover plate 40, and the conductor 50, 51 fastened to the end of theresistance wire 44, the cover plate 40 with the heater assembled thereonis then placed over the opening 38 in the fan casing and fixed in place,as-by means of screws 85. hen

the cover plate 40, is in place, the heater 44 fits 'in the space 36within the ring formed by the radial blades 32 of the fan, therebyproviding a compact arrangement of the parts, and an advantageouslocation of the heater, as will be hereinafter more fully-described.

Operation Switch. 80 is closed and also switches 81 and 82, therebyadmitting electricity to run the electric motor 25 and to heat theheater 44, The fan 22 driven by the electric; motor, will draw air inthrough the perforated plate 42. The air drawn in through the perforatedplate '42 will-enter the space 36 containing the electric heater 44 andwill be heated in pass ing over and around said heater. The heater 44being located in the space 36, radiation from the heating wires 44 willstrike the parts of the fan, and the casing, and the air in passing overthese parts of the fan and casing will receive additional heat fromthese said parts which have been heated by the radiated heat fromthewires 44. Some part of the air passing over the heater 44 Will beheated more than other parts, and this unevenly heated air, in passingthrough the blades of the fan, willibe mixed, and this mixing willcontribute to the uniformity ofthe temperature of the air forced by thean, ntothe compression chamber 90 of the fan casing, and consequently tothe uniformity of the temperature of the air delivered through thedelivery passage 12. 6

By reason of the location of theheater 44 in the spacei36 on the intake.side of the fan, the discharge passage 12 is unobstructed, and therebythe resistance of i the air flowing through the dischargefpassage 12very much reduced. By reason of this reduction in resistance to the airpassing through thedis charge passage, the fan '22 is required tocompress the air to a less degreeof pressure than would be the; casewhere substantial resistance is encountered by the air in passingthrough the discharge opening 12, Due to the less pressure required, themotor 24 maybe driven at a lesser speed, and thereby there is lesscutting of the air by the blades of the fan, and consequently the vnoiseof the fan may be so reduced as to be scarcely noticeable. Moreover, byreason of the slower speed of rotation of the electric motor, there willbe practically no motor hum. For exits ample, fans used for hair driershave heretofore been usually run at about 2,000 revolutions per minute.I have found that by the present i vention the speed of the fan may bereduced to as much as 1,000 revolutions per minute, and the sameefficiency in the drying of hair obtained as with the old style heaterrunning at much higher revolutions per minute.

As heretofore stated, the present invention provides a drier of the typedescribed, which may be run noiselessly or practically so, whichutilizes the heat supplied by the heater very efficiently, and whichdelivers through the discharge tube a very uniformly heated jet of air.Furthermore, the drier is a very compact and of simple construction.

The invention may receive other embodiments than that hereinspecifically illustrated and described.

l/Vhile the invention has been particularly described as a pedestal typeof hair drier, nevertheless the inventive ideas may be embodied indriers which are held in the hand for drying hair and other uses, andalso in driers such as are used in lavatories and similar places fordryin the face and hair.

Moreover, the casing and outlet may be of any suitable type and theoutlet may be located in any suitable relation to the casing.

What is claimed is 1. A drier of the type described, comprising a fan ofthe peripheral blade type having a central space within the ring ofperipheral blades, a fan casing, a delivery tube connected to saidcasing andan electric heater said heater being located within said spacewithin the ring of peripheral blades on the intake side of said fan,whereby the casing and tube on the delivery side of said fan areunobstructed by said heat-er and the work which said fan would have toperform to overcome the choking effect offered by a heater located inthe delivery tube, is avoided. 2. A drier of the type described,comprising a fan of the peripheral blade type having a central spacewithin the ring of peripheral blades, a casing around the fan having anintake opening on one side, a cover for said fan intake opening, saidcover also having openings therein, and an electric heater locatedwithin said space within the ring of peripheral blades, and means forsupporting said heater on said cover.

3. A drier according to claim 2, wherein said supporting means comprisesa plurality of radial insulating plates attached to said cover.

4. A drier according to claim 2, wherein said heater comprises aresistance heating wire arranged in spirals within said space.

5. A drier according to claim 2, wherein blades, an electric heaterlocated within the 7 space within the ring of peripheral blades, acasing around the fan having an intake opening on one side, a motorhaving a shaft extending into said casing, a fixed part, means forfastening the side of said fan casing opposite its open side to saidfixed part, said opening in said fan casing being of greater diameterthan said fan and said heater, whereby to admit of assembly of saidheater and of said fan on said motor shaft, through said casing opening.

8. A drier according to claim 7, wherein said casing has a peripheraldelivery tube, and said fastening means comprises a resilient ringbearing against said fan casing, a ring bearing against said resilientring, and means for fastening said last named ring to said fixed part,said parts of the fastening means constituting a friction clutchadmitting of forced movement of said casing with relation to said fixedpart to adjust said delivery tube to different angular positions.

9. A drier of the type described, comprising a fan of the peripheralblade type having a central space within the ring of peripheral blades,an electric heater located within said space Within the ring ofperipheral blades, a fan casing having an unobstructed passagetherethrough for the delivery of air, and an electric motordriving saidfan, said fan being driven at a speed of rotation below that wherewhistling is produced by the fan blades in compressing the air.

In witness whereof, I have my name.

JOHN E. KELLEY.

hereunto signed said heater comprises a resistance heating wire arrangedas a helix within said space

